Local EDM artist GREAT BEER embodies the essence of Tallahassee’s carefree, party-prone lifestyle. / Photo courtesy of GREAT BEER

Written by

Sawyer Vanderwerff

Contributing Writer

Timothy J. Elliot is a student, news director at WVFS and a party animal, but above all, he is GREAT BEER. Just like that party your friend’s brother’s roommate is throwing for his cousins twenty-second birthday, not everything is familiar when it comes to GREAT BEER’s music, but enough acquainted space between trippy beats and vocal loops is enough to keep you in the room long enough to forget why you came in the first place. The genre slips through your fingers like refreshing golden liquid but somehow that makes you all the more comfortable in an unfamiliar setting.

This beer is free and you don’t need to be 21 to enjoy it, making GREAT BEER a staple for college house parties or small venues. GREAT BEER goes down smooth and won’t give you a hangover. The only aches you will encounter the following morning will be the result of unchecked dancing. Distilled from a blend of psychedelic jazz-funk, experimental EDM beats, and ambient noisescapes, GREAT BEER tends to pair well with a red cup and good times. This beer is double filtered through haunting vocal samples and deep pools of luring bass. GREAT BEER is appropriate for any season or situation. Please enjoy responsibly.

“Well I had to think of something that I knew everyone liked,” Tim says of his moniker. “The name had to be short and attention catching, so immediately I thought of beer. I like beer, I know other people like beer. This couldn’t just be any beer, but I couldn’t call myself ‘FREE BEER’ because that would upset a lot of people who would arrive expecting free alcohol. I knew some people enjoyed having a ‘good beer,’ like one of those more expensive beers, but I couldn’t just be good beer, I had to be GREAT BEER.”

Hailing from West Palm Beach, Tim arrived in Tallahassee to acquire a degree and new scenery. Tim initially hashed out progressive beats on a laptop in between classes and work, dabbling in a variety of majors while still trying to define himself as an artist. Under his original name, Dankadelic, Tim grounded firm roots in electronic music production, learning to program synths and chop samples on Reason 3.

“Working at a hotel a couple years back as a night auditor, I could bring my laptop and work on beats,” Tim said. “Sometimes school or work kicks your ass and you want to work on stuff, but being creative takes energy. I eventually decided to put away money to afford more equipment and soon grew outside the laptop and began to use beat machines and other hardware like the SP-505. I knew that the new vibe deserved a new name, so I started going by GREAT BEER and that’s when I really began to come into myself. I’m not a DJ, but when I play live I know what songs of mine are at the same tempo or key and I can bridge them together and add tweaks on the fly.”

Eventually Tim found a second home at the student radio station, WVFS, where the breadth of his musical inclination gained fervor. As he became more focused with studies so too did he spend more time learning what his music was made of. Time spent at different homes over the years has placed Tim in close proximity with other local musicians such as Quap, Cousteau, SumSun and Off Balance Atlas.

“Pretty much whatever house I am living at, I am the literal and musical resident.” Tim said.

GREAT BEER has performed at a variety of house parties and venues including Rehab and Green House and has even opened for Black Moth Super Rainbow at FSU’s Club Downunder. Tim said he is still working to perfect some parts in order to release an LP in time before he graduates at the end of the fall semester. In the meantime, he hopes to leave a lasting impression on Tallahassee and leave his fans with less sweat than they came with.

The music one hears during his set isn’t just inspired by countless nights at house parties and local venues; it embodies the essence of Tallahassee’s carefree, party-prone lifestyle. After a few minutes (and a few drinks), Tim is dancing harder than anyone else in the room. He refines his talents as a musician, not just with obsessive automation and fine-tuning, but with raw experiences. GREAT BEER is music that, much like real beer, unfolds arms and loosens hips against all better judgments. Every party is a new sound, every semester a new chapter.

“Every time I play a show I love to dance, I love to get down to my own music” Tim says. “I feel like enthusiasm can at least make up for a lack of talent. Even if it’s not quite the style of music you’re into, if I am having a blast, you better be too. People respond to that confidence.”